Environment Ministers met on Friday, 8 November to decide the timeline to ban exports of glass, tyres, plastic and paper.

The outcomes from this meeting included a clear timeline for the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) waste export ban and a number of other actions outlined in the Communique.

Key actions included, an export ban for:

all waste glass by July 2020

mixed waste plastics by July 2021

all whole tyres including baled tyres by December 2021, and

remaining waste products, including mixed paper and cardboard, by no later than 30 June 2022.

Ministers identified that there are unique challenges for each jurisdiction in implementing the ban and that they will further test the timetable with industry and Local Government. For Western Australia the progressive bans will be a significant challenge, as the majority of these materials, except glass, are currently exported.

The Department of Environment and Energy has released a Discussion Paper on the COAG waste export ban, with submissions due Tuesday, 3 December.

WALGA will be developing a Submission on the Discussion Paper and actively engaging with the State and Federal Government in relation to the waste export ban.

If you would like to comment on the Discussion Paper, please email Waste Management Specialist, Candy Wong or call (08) 9213 2086.

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is hosting two workshops on Monday, 2 December to assist Local Governments in the Perth, Peel and major regional centres develop Waste Plans.

The Local Governments and Regional Councils in the Perth, Peel (Mandurah, Murray and Waroona) and major regional centres (Albany, Busselton, Bunbury, Greater Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Bunbury-Harvey Regional Council) will be required to develop Waste Plans.

WALGA Preferred Supplier, Soft Landing is on track to recycle 70,000 mattresses this financial year. The majority of these come from metropolitan and south west Local Governments.

Soft Landing is a national social enterprise, which diverts used mattresses from landfill and recovers their components for recycling. The company offers employment opportunities for people who experience barriers entering the open labour market. Soft Landing recycles an average of 75% of the materials in the mattresses received:

steel springs - recycled into products such as roof sheeting

foam - recycled into carpet underlay

timber - recycled into animal bedding, kindling and mulch, and

fabric - research and development is under way into end use products such as acoustic panelling and alternatively as feedstock for waste to energy plants.

Soft Landing’s aim for the coming two years, is to recycle over 100,000 mattresses annually, with the long term goal of diverting all mattresses in WA from landfill.

For more information about Soft Landing’s operations, visit their website or contact WA Manager, Alan Davenport on (08) 6244 4351.

Perth courts gave out more than $15,000 in fines to illegal dumpers in October, in three separate illegal dumping cases, after investigations by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

Environment Minister, Stephen Dawson said, “illegal dumping is a crime that demonstrates contempt for the environment. Businesses that generate waste must ensure that it is lawfully reused, recycled or disposed of. Any form of illegal dumping can be costly for the offender and the environment that is impacted. With a significant investigative network, DWER's inspectors will continue to do everything they can to track down those responsible for illegally dumping waste in Western Australia."

Full details of the cases are available in the Minister's media release.

Illegal dumping can be reported to DWER by email, by calling the Pollution Watch Hotline on 1300 784 782, or by contacting Crime Stoppers WA.

Senate Inquiry 2
In to the waste and recycling industry and barriers to innovation. Comments closeFriday, 31 January 2020.

WALGA is developing Submissions to both inquiries. If you would like to provide feedback, please email Waste Management Specialist, Candy Wong or call (08) 9213 2086.

Did you know there is a Municipal Waste Advisory Council?

The Municipal Waste Advisory Council (MWAC) is a standing committee of WALGA with delegated authority on municipal waste issues. MWAC's membership includes the major Regional Councils (waste management), making MWAC a unique forum through which all the major Local Government waste management organisations cooperate.

Want to share your waste management successes, promote a new project, have a key question answered or collaborate with other Local Governments? We want to include your waste management issues in this newsletter.